Over the next few days, Uehara Shiroha's schedule remained fixed.
During the day, he guided Ise Nanao in her Kidō training while also refining his own unique techniques. At night, he strolled through the flower streets to unwind.
Whenever he had free time, he would stop by to see if Shihoin Yoruichi had "refreshed."
If he encountered her, he'd farm some experience points.
Yoruichi, at first annoyed, gradually got used to his persistence.
Besides that, Uehara Shiroha also spent time infusing large amounts of spiritual pressure into the [Death Gloves]—integrating the magical weapon Yoruichi had provided.
After all, it was only a D-rank item. To make it stronger, a considerable investment of resources and energy was required.
However, Uehara Shiroha wasn't in a rush. Instead, he treated it as a special form of spiritual pressure training.
Having multiple trump cards was always an advantage. And if it didn't work out? No big deal—he had plenty of other means.
Time passed in the blink of an eye.
More than ten days later, Uehara Shiroha once again stood across from Ise Nanao, instructing her to unleash her strongest Kidō.
This type of training had become a daily routine.
Each time, Uehara Shiroha would point out her shortcomings, helping her improve little by little.
As before, Ise Nanao cast her most proficient spell—[Hadō #58: Tenran]—without incantation.
This was something Uehara Shiroha had specifically instructed her to master.
Since Ise Nanao couldn't rely on her Zanpakutō and lacked fast defensive or close-combat techniques, she had to compensate by striking first.
This time, as Ise Nanao released her Kidō, Uehara Shiroha's gaze softened in approval.
Unlike before, the Reishi within the hurricane was more condensed, more destructive, and significantly faster.
This was a Kidō technique truly valuable for actual combat.
At last, Ise Nanao's spiritual pressure no longer felt light and fleeting—it now carried weight.
Of course, to Uehara Shiroha, that weight was still insignificant.
Facing the incoming hurricane, he calmly extended a single finger.
"Shatterpoint."
This was an advanced Hakuda technique—one that could not only inject Kidō energy into an opponent's body but also dismantle an already-formed Kidō attack.
With just a touch, a terrifying surge of spiritual pressure erupted, instantly collapsing the hurricane into nothingness.
"Again?!"
Ise Nanao's shoulders slumped in frustration.
"Teacher Uehara, I'm sorry…," she muttered, disheartened.
She had felt better than ever this time. It was as if, for a moment, she had grasped the "spirit" that Uehara Shiroha always emphasized.
But even then, she still felt so weak, so powerless.
Doubt began to creep into her mind—was she even talented enough for Kidō?
However, Uehara Shiroha simply smiled.
"No, you did well. I could feel your determination and conviction in Kidō," he said, his tone genuinely encouraging.
"You've become stronger, Nanao. Your Kidō level has officially reached vice-captain rank!"
Ise Nanao's eyes widened in disbelief.
To reach vice-captain level in Kidō in such a short time—it felt like a dream.
Uehara Shiroha, however, wasn't surprised in the slightest.
He had always believed in Ise Nanao's Kidō potential.
To achieve this level so quickly? Her talent far surpassed that of most captains.
She truly lived up to her lineage as the eldest daughter of the Shinto family!
Seeing her trembling with excitement, Uehara Shiroha's tone turned calm again.
"Take a moment to stabilize your spiritual pressure," he advised. "Remember this feeling—engrave it into your mind."
Ise Nanao took a deep breath, forcing herself to settle down.
Then, she began practicing again, meticulously following Uehara Shiroha's guidance.
She wanted to etch this moment into her soul and blood.
A System Notification Appears
At that moment, a familiar "Ding!" echoed in Uehara Shiroha's mind.
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for completing Special Mission (8) - "Helping the Needy, Supporting the Girl." Reward: S-Rank Ability - Universal Barrier!]
[Universal Barrier]
Rank: S
Proficiency: Entry
Type: Angel Power
Effect: A fusion of multiple defensive barriers, providing absolute and multi-layered protection against all forms of attack, including spatial, spiritual, temporal, causal, and conceptual damage.
Introduction:
The ultimate defense of the "Cute King Slime", one of the abilities of the King of Oaths (Uriel).
Obtained after completing [Special Mission 8: Helping the Needy, Supporting the Girl].
Defending against everything is equivalent to defending against nothing.
As soon as he saw the ability, Uehara Shiroha felt a deep sense of relief.
With this… there was really nothing to fear anymore.
While the ability had been mocked in the "Cute King Slime" series for being an absolute defense that sometimes failed, that was only because the enemies in that world were too ridiculously overpowered.
Besides, this power had the potential to evolve even further—eventually transforming into [Absolute Severance].
However, what Uehara Shiroha valued most about [Universal Barrier] was its all-encompassing protection.
Defending Against Bleach's Broken Abilities
Bleach was full of scheming old foxes and overpowered abilities with ridiculous mechanics.
Even though Uehara Shiroha had the Horse Talisman, which could expel abnormal conditions, it wasn't completely reliable.
Some abilities were simply too disgusting.
For example:
Tsukishima's [Book of the End]
Could rewrite memories and even alter past events in the timeline.
Yhwach's [The Almighty]
Could foresee the future and erase people from existence by changing future events.
The damage it caused was so absolute that even Inoue Orihime—the "god-tier healer"—couldn't reverse it.
Ichibei's [Shirafude Ichimonji]
"Erases a name but not the flesh."
Could remove a person's power entirely simply by changing their name.
All of these were abilities that couldn't be countered through brute force alone.
Just thinking about them gave Uehara Shiroha a headache.
But now…
With [Universal Barrier], things were different.
Even if it couldn't fully block [The Almighty], it would at least offer some defense against it.
More importantly, it would protect him from:
· Mind-reading techniques
· Spiritual tracking
· Time-based attacks
At his current power level, Uehara Shiroha wasn't worried.
But once his strength became exposed, the [Universal Barrier] would become his greatest safeguard—his ultimate insurance.
And this was just the entry-level version.
Once he mastered it, and combined it with his Shunkyō, he would become truly untouchable.
Uehara Shiroha grinned in satisfaction.
This [Universal Barrier] was top-tier among S-rank abilities.
Ise Nanao really did have the potential to become a "Little Red Hand of Fortune."
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